in the middle east. families on the run as sirens blare. just 30 seconds to take cover. is a cease-fire imminent? road rules for one of the most dangerous days to travel. tonight is the best time to hit the road on thanksgiving and the secret to the safest drive. the sting. have you been fooled by a five-star rating that's phony? tonight the businesses paying big bucks to fake you out. and speed racer, the lightning fast pioneer about to land one of the toughest jobs in sports. what it takes to be the first woman to do this. good evening. diane is off this holiday week. and as we come on the air, a high stakes and dangerous standoff is gripping the middle east. families on both sides caught in

the cross fire. some with just seconds to find safety. others with no protection at all. the air strikes are escalating. israel poised to invade gaza. hamas daring them to make good on that threat. a region is on the brink of all-out war, and tonight world leaders are wondering what can be done to prevent it. our team has been out reporting from the field all day. abc's christiane amanpour is standing by in jerusalem tonight, and we begin with abc's alex marquardt in gaza. good evening, alex. >> reporter: good evening, george. as the death toll soared past 100 today, you could feel the anger growing. gazans are furious over the civilians deaths, but despite the loss of life, they're not backing down. a massive explosion as israeli air strikes pounded gaza today israel, and amidst it all,

this, tiny bodies of the dead as they left the hospital today carried through the crowd for their funerals. "we ask all the militant groups to respond to these massacres," this man said. "we shouldn't talk about a ceasefire at all." they were killed sunday by a missile that obliterated their three-story house, killing nine from a single family. israel said it was an accident. in southern israel where our matt gutman is reporting, 3-year-old karen is playing with her tricycle until sirens sound. eight members of malta family huddling together during the explosion. what we think was one of the iron dome missiles intercepted one of the rockets overhead. there was a big boom and, of course, everybody ran right down into the bunker. when the sirens sound, you have just 30 seconds to get to the shelter. so families don't leave home. schools and businesses are closed. just over the border tonight, egypt is leading intense international talks to broker a cease-fire.

in cambodia today, president obama worked the phones calling israel and egypt's leaders. but back here, between the bombs, children were able to get outside and smile while others hoped for quieter times. >> we need peace. we need peace. if they stopped, if sharyn alfonsi stopped, i'm sure they will stop. >> reporter: but of course it's not that simple. both sides say they want peace but blame the other for preventing it. so tonight while many hope for a peace deal, the missiles keep flying. >> thanks. let's get perspective from our global anchor christiane amanpour in jerusalem. christiane, we know the situation where israel has been threatening for days to roll tanks into gaza. hamas calls it a bluff. do you have a better sense how real it is and when a ground invasion might happen? >> reporter: well, the threat is real.

in fact, one israeli official told me today perhaps we'll have to make the sword clearer to energize the diplomacy. on the other hand, they want to make the diplomacy work and are really counting on that success. at this hour, the israeli so-called gang of nine is meeting, that is the prime minister along with his senior advisers and cabinet to try to figure out how to respond to a proposal put forward by egypt so the effort is under way to have a diplomatic solution. whether it works or not, we're waiting to see. >> how about the role of the united states? president obama has stood by israel publicly but also talked to the egyptian president about ways to de-escalate the conflict. what specific ideas are on the table? >> reporter: all the americans' efforts are going through egypt when it comes to hamas. they are taking the lead. from what we understand, egypt wants to have a cease-fire and then a bigger negotiation about lifting the siege of gaza. hamas wants that all to be part of one agreement, and israel wants to see a stop of hostilities, no more rockets

into israel and doesn't want to link that to a cease-fire. so those are the parameters. how they get close together to make a success of this is really what's under way right now. >> and a lot of activity right now, christiane amanpour, thanks very much. >> as alex reported, those calls president obama made to the middle east came from asia where the president made history today becoming the first american president to visit myanmar formerly known as burma. he was met with a lot of enthusiasm, american flags and aung san suu kyi. later he made a commitment to the people of myanmar. >> so today i've come to keep my promise and extend the hand of friendship. america now has an ambassador in rangoon. sanctions have been eased, and we will help rebuild an economy that can offer opportunity for its people and serve as an engine of growth for the world. >> reporter: president obama also became the first president to visit cambodia today where he had what was described as a tense meeting about the need to improve human rights there.

and back here at home, a homecoming for the woman whose affair with general david petraeus ended his career at the cia. tonight we are seeing new images of paula broadwell with her family, learning new details what she's telling her closest friends and there are new questions about whether she'll face charges. abc senior correspondent pierre thomas has the story. >> reporter: this morning scott and paula broadwell slipped out of their north carolina home, children in tow, trying to piece together lives shattered by scandal. as broadwell struggles under the hot glare of reporters stalking her family's every move, she's also the target of late night comics. >> it's "saturday night live." >> reporter: including "saturday night live" spoofing her reading her biography of petraeus. >> lock the door, paula, said general petraeus and i knew the

junior officers outside could easily tell what was going on. >> reporter: jokes aside, prosecutors must make a critical decision about whether to charge broadwell with a crime. she allegedly took secret files from secure government buildings and stored them on a personal computer and in her home. that's a potential violation of federal law. but sources say some of the files are old and there's no indication so far broadwell intended to harm national security. petraeus maintained he never gave broadwell classified information. broadwell is cooperating and could pursue a plea deal that would not call for jail time. a family friend tells abc news she's devastated and deeply regrets the damage that's been done to her family and everyone else. george, the investigation is ongoing, and fbi agents are still poring through thor documents from her house though broadwell remains in legal jeopardy. we move on to a health alert. doctors are sounding an alarm over what's being called a national phenomenon.

young boys using supplements and experimenting with steroids. it's all in a new study out in the journal "pediatrics," and abc's dan harris has the details on a reality check for american families. >> reporter: the videos are burning up the internet -- teenage boys transforming their bodies, going from skinny to ripped. a graphic illustration of what today's study says is a surprisingly prevalent trend. the study's authors warning, "the use of muscle-enhancing behaviors is substantially higher than has been previously reported and is cause for concern." with 90% of boys in middle and high school saying they regularly exercised with the goal of increasing muscle mass and more than two-thirds saying they changed the way they ate. more worryingly, 38% said they had used protein supplements, which are unregulated, not well researched and potentially dangerous and 6% said they tried steroids which can because withdrawal, rage and even in the case of 16-year-old high school baseball player

taylor hooton have been linked to suicide. >> his mom found him hanging on the bedroom door after committing suicide. >> reporter: what's driving this? experts say the ideal male body type has changed as typified by celebrities like mike "the situation" sorrentin ochlt from mtv's "jersey shore" and increases male must cue late in children's action toys which researchers says has driven up rates of body dissatisfaction among boys and the girls are getting in on the bulking trend showing twice as many are using steroids than before. >> there's a lot in that piece. but you see the first figure nine out of ten doing more strength training and i think that's a good thing. >> right, that's an excellent point, and we're in the middle of a childhood obesity clinic. of course, kids should be encouraged to get fit but parents have to talk to them about a way to do it in a way that is safe, and there are

ways to do it safely. >> thanks very much. breaking news in that deadly and mysterious gas explosion in indianapolis that leveled two homes. we showed you these pictures last week. these houses decimated after a huge blast, debris flying. tonight police said they believe it was intentional treating the case as a criminal homicide. also today, hundreds of people attended a funeral for the couple killed in the explosion, john and jennifer longworth. and now the countdown to thanksgiving. aaa says a whopping 43.6 million americans will travel 50 miles or more this week. the vast majority, 90%, will be driving and from weather to gridlock and this year from travel to gas, american families are in for quite a trip. here's abc's alex perez. >> reporter: this woman is a travel pro. she and the kids are making the drive to see loved ones in indiana today to avoid the mayhem of motorists later this week.

>> it's going to get crazy. trying to get off in the rest areas, it's just people everywhere. >> reporter: they joined some 39 million others who will be clogging roadways this thanksgiving holiday and as the stress on the roads begin, some relief at the pump. gas prices down 5 cents in the last two weeks. but thanksgiving carves out a week of worries on roadways, and with all of these families getting in their cars, the number of incidents will skyrocket this week, so here are a few things you should look out for. like traveling on unfamiliar roadways, not knowing the lay of the land could be disastrous. >> plan your route ahead of time so that you're not fumbling with the gps or the directions or figuring out where you're trying to go and leave the navigation if possible to a passenger. >> reporter: be mindful of the clock, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. this week, rush hour becomes high-risk hour. there are 20% more fatal crashes during those hours on thanksgiving week than other weeks. also, keep your eyes for

more deer in the headlights. fall is mating season when the animals tend to roam. experts say the best way to maneuver the roads this week is just like fixing a thanksgiving feast, slowly and with lots of prep work. alex perez, abc news, chicago. >> a lot of good advice. thanks, alex. and in your money today, a surge in the stock market. the dow up more than 200 points. it's the single best day on wall street since the election. a comeback fueled by new optimism that a deal will be reached to keep america from going over that fiscal cliff. and that could mean more enthusiasm for holiday shoppers. not that these ones camped outside of best buy in los angeles need it. take a look at them. 72 hours before thanksgiving. some of these jury-rigged televisions powered by generators. that is commitment. and still ahead on "world news," those popular online reviews telling us where to go, what to eat and buy. now undercover detectives are busts those companies faking

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all day pain relief with just two pills. a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving is easier. celebrex can be taken with or without food. and it's not a narcotic. you and your doctor should balance the benefits with the risks. all prescription nsaids, like celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen, and meloxicam have the same cardiovascular warning. they all may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you have heart disease or risk factors such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods.

nsaids, including celebrex, increase the chance of serious skin or allergic reactions or stomach and intestine problems, such as bleeding and ulcers, which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. do not take celebrex if you've had an asthma attack, hives, or other allergies to aspirin, nsaids or sulfonamides. get help right away if you have swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing. tell your doctor your medical history and find an arthritis treatment for you. visit celebrex.com and ask your doctor about celebrex. for a body in motion. tonight, a sting operation is under way, and it's happening online on yelp. millions of people go there every month to get tips on where to shop and eat. as that internet traffic heats up during the holidays, undercover detectives are hunting down fake reviews and

shaming the businesses that posted those. so how can you tell what's authentic and phony? abc's cecilia vega has the clues. >> reporter: there is some serious cyber shadiness going on. businesses trying to pay for their own positive online reviews to boost their bottom line. but now one well-known company is cracking down. >> one jewelry store was paying someone $200. >> reporter: ooh, must be some good reviews, right? >> this is an ongoing cat and mouse game. people are always going to try to game the system. >> reporter: a very powerful system. yelp gets more than 71 million visitors a month, but now yelp is taking on a new role -- detectives using its own undercover employees and a top secret computer filter to spot fakes. >> this is not acceptable behavior and, frankly, it's not just unethical, it's probably illegal, and we have to let business owners know. you can't go out there and try to mislead your consumers. >> reporter: here's how it works, this los angeles moving company posted on craigslist, "i'm willing to pay you $50 if you can write and post a review for my business." the yelp employee posing as a

writer for hire replies "i'm interested!" then they display the evidence for all to see, a kind of scarlet letter for the internet age. that company didn't return our calls, but this san francisco scavenger hunt business let us right in. why would you feel the need to go to that length of asking someone to write a fake review? >> it just makes it easier for people to find you. >> reporter: but the owner's plan backfired. >> busted in the sting. >> reporter: busted. >> the yelp police. >> reporter: by some estimates, as many as 30% of online reviews are complete fakes from hotels, to toys, to books. so how do you spot them? here are the clues. truthful reviews talk about often physical space using specific details like "floor" and "small." fake reviewers often talk mainly about themselves and their companions. words like "husband" can be red flags. as for joe garvey, do you feel like that was dishonest in any way? >> yeah, i guess it was a little bit. >> reporter: was it worth doing?

>> no, no. >> reporter: cecelia vega, abc news, san francisco. >> wow, busted. coming up, what a chimpanzee can teach us about mid-life crisis and why scientists now believe we all might be hardwired to have one. all hardwired to have one. cheerleading, and baseball. those years were crazy. so, as we go into this next phase, you know, a big part of it for us is that there isn't anything on the schedule. you spend all day cooking it. so why spend even a moment considering any broth but swanson? the broth cooks trust most to make the meal folks spend all year waiting for. in stuffing and more, the secret is swanson.

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of washington about the future of medicare and social security. anncr: but you deserve straight talk about the options on the... table and what they mean for you and your family. ancr: aarp is cutting through all the political spin. because for our 37 million members, only one word counts. get the facts at earnedasay.org. let's keep medicare... and social security strong for generations to come. we don't let frequent heartburn come between us and what we love. so if you're one of them people who gets heartburn and then treats day after day... hd 3. in the first place! burn [ male announcer ] one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. here's what made it to the top of our "instant index" tonight. it's all about facts and fiction starting with this finding from the national academy of sciences. the mid-life crisis is real.

their proof, humans aren't the only ones who feel it. it turns out chimps do too. scientists say like many of us they start out curious and inspired, eager to climb, swing and hunt for food but when they hit the chimp equivalent of our late 40s, they're motivated by more status, a bit disenchanted with their youthful passion and admit it could be etched in our dna, which may or may not be a handy excuse. the next time you don't seem to be firing on all cylinders, forget the excuse that we only use 10% of our brains. they follow the use it or lose it cycle. those cells we don't use simply die but if you didn't know that you're not alone. the new study out today in the journal "frontiers of psychology" found 47% of teachers believed it was true and a whopping two-thirds of all americans agree. and take a look at this all too real video.

a mammoth waterspout 140 miles outside sydney, australia. for a sense of its size and power look at that car dwarfed by that giant tornado over open waters. it lasted 15 minutes and packed winds up to 115 miles per hour. eyewitnesses say it sounded like ten freight trains hurtling toward them. thank goodness no one was hurt. boy, what a terrifying sight that was. every day we want to hear what captures your imagination so tweet us your ideas for "instant index @dianesawyer." coming up, watch this, the spitfire lighting up nascar. the race car pioneer holding her own against men. that's next. there's big news. the race car pioneer holding her own against men. that's next. is from the makers of the number one prescribed testosterone replacement therapy. it raises your testosterone levels, and...

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our unique brush head cleans in three directions with up to 50% more brush movements than leading sonic technology. oral-b power brushes. go to oralb.com for the latest offers. to the pits. men in jumpsuits fueled by adrenaline and the feat of strength and speed and right by their side a trail blazing woman proving she can do it with millions watching on a nascar track. abc's steve osunsami has her story. >> reporter: there's a revolution happening in nascar today, and her name is christmas.

you're the real deal. >> i think so. you know, you can't really fake strength. >> reporter: while the track has certainly seen a few women drivers at elite levels, never before has a woman muscled her way into one of the physically demanding roles in the pit where in less than 12 seconds, they fuel the car and change the tires. it's a crucial job in a multi-billion dollar business. just a few extra seconds at a pit stop, and their driver loses. >> i just like the way she moves around the car. >> reporter: 30-year-old christmas abbot is that special woman, working the front tire position. and in these recorded practices that they study each night, her times are within milliseconds of the big leagues. she was recruited after an audition and says she's so competitive, she was drawn to the high stakes of racing. so you're 5'3? so let's take a look. let's see. >> these are with heels on >> reporter: but don't let her looks fool you. she's an incredible brand of athlete, who's built her body through intense workouts and crazy competitions like this one, carrying a 125-pound friend

with one arm, and a 70-pund dumbbell with the other -- nearly twice her weight. >> my body is developing into this very precise machine where whatever i want to do ultimately i will be able to. >> reporter: at first, her pit crew coach wasn't so sure. >> to be honest with you, i thought it was a publicity stunt. you know what i mean? and i wanted no part of it. and i think i was convinced when i saw her. >> reporter: christmas has her detractors in the garage, the men who whisper that she won't last and who appreciate her for all the wrong reasons, but she doesn't care. >> i feel like i'm bringing something huge to the sport, but this is ultimately much bigger than me. i find that those things that scare you most are the most rewarding once you've conquered them. >> reporter: steve osunsami, abc news, charlotte. >> no one is getting in the way of christmas. >> that's all for us tonight. thanks for watching. we're always on at abcnews.com. check out "nightline" later. i'll see you tomorrow on "gma."

tonight red tape chevron is up against getting it's refinery build. when will it get back to full production? >> here is a man police are after following a weekend crime spree. a wounded cop hailed a hero. >> also a dilemma tonight. free rides or more maintenance. debate over how to spend a wind fall from washington. >> in sacramento, an eye opening report found duies in california don't necessarily involve cho. you may be surprised to hear what impairs drivers more.

>> there could be a hitch in the plan to get the refinery back on line. the bureaucracy appears to be slowing down process. good evening, everyone. >> chevron went to the bay area air quality mab4qgá district today to do -- to update the board on the project but the air district was interested in who has authority to oversee that job. abc 7 news reporter is here with the story tonight. heather? >> richmond is the permitting agency. the air quality district is responsible for emissions. but the air district is feeling uneasy with the process, concerned that richmond won't bring the same level of expertise to the table as national chem cal safety board. that board has no poweró÷@÷cj% approve or block what chevron does, only only to make recommendations. the air district board chair interrupted repair